My Saturday began with a plan and the best of intentions — I’d take the day off and do anything but work on my cordwood stores. The Heeler and I walked through our morning routine and shared breakfast by the fire.
After that, we chilled. I cruised my social-media feeds and surfed the wwWeb for items of interest.
Smudge was content to have a bone, a warm fire and the unconditional love of her dad.
It felt good to rest.
And then I had an idea. I hate it when that happens.
(Actually, I love it when that happens.)
Regular readers may recall that when I retired my original burn barrel back in August, I cannibalized the rusted-out hulk for a single fire ring. It’s been stowed out behind the shed since. The sun wasn’t even up on my day of rest when I started thinking about using it at the patch I recently cleared on the east slope.
Now I could’ve put the idea on hold and pushed the work back ’til tomorrow, or even into next week. But I’m not wired that way — I had to seize the moment.
I was out the door and rolling down the road by 8am.
Before entering the woods, I drove past the crest to the telecom relay on the south side of the road. There I filled a five-gallon bucket with surplus gravel — good stuff, with fines, perfect for the job I had in mind.
Damned heavy, though. Glad I’d had breakfast.
I parked the Ranger next to the spot I’d picked out on the east slope. Using shovel and rake, I got rid of stones and roots and other unwanted debris. I set the steel ring in place and adjusted it until it was eyeball-level.
Next came the gravel. I put down a layer two or three inches deep inside the ring and spread the remainder around the outside.
I’ll probably come back soon with another bucketful and extend the perimeter. Maybe two buckets.
It’s worth noting, I think, that even though this is a deep ring (which will serve as an effective windbreak), I expect it to draft just fine. Holes left over from its previous life as a burn-barrel should make that possible.
If, for some reason, that doesn’t work, I can always drill more.
The finishing touch, of course, was to surround the rustic ring with rocks. That was easy — I didn’t have to venture farther than 20 feet to collect all I needed.
I sat down on the driver’s seat of the Ranger, sipped coffee and admired what I’d built. It’s the perfect spot, deep in these woods, and the view is wonderful.
And I got to thinking… continuing to call my new retreat “the east slope” didn’t seem to fit. It needed a proper name.
So, from now on, I’ll refer to the place as “Daybreak Point,” or simply “Daybreak.” Feels right.
Making this happen yesterday didn’t take long at all. I was back relaxing with Smudge before 10am.
That felt right, too.
At random…
Are coffee prices coming down? I found Maxwell House Original Roast on Amazon yesterday for 40 cents an ounce. (I bought two cans.) That’s 30% cheaper than Walmart, the next-best price.
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State Forestry officials have designated all of Arkansas at “moderate” risk of wildfire.
The number of counties imposing burn bans, however, has fallen to 11, none of those in the northern tier bordering Missouri.
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I guess Ohio State football fans can take a measure of consolation that the only two teams to beat this season’s Buckeyes will play for the national championship a week from Monday.
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Though it was gray, windy and cold while I worked at Daybreak Point yesterday morning…
…the afternoon was spectacular — still breezy, still brisk, but bright and pleasant.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable